Psychology and Physical Activity

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Psychology and Physical Activity
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Psychological Benefits of Physical Activity

• Improves health-related quality of life.
• Improves ones mood.
• Alleviates symptoms associated with mild
  depression.
• Reduces anxiety.
• Aids in managing stress.
• Enhances self-concept, self-esteem,
  self-efficacy, and self-confidence.
• Offers opportunities for affiliation with others.

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Psychological Benefits of Physical Activity

• Offers opportunities to experience peak
  moments.
• Provides recreation and a change of pace.
• Offers an opportunity for individuals to
  challenge themselves and strive for mastery.
• Offers creative and aesthetic experiences.
• Increasing recognition of physical activity as a
  therapeutic modality.

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Exercise and Adherence

• Estimates reveal that nearly 50 of patients fail
  to comply with their medical treatment.
• Adherence to supervised exercise programs ranges
  from 50 to 80.
• Only 30 of individuals who begin an exercise
  program will be exercising at the end of 3 years.
• What can be done to promote continued involvement?

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Exercise and Adherence Intervention Models

• Classic learning theories
• Learning a new behavior is achieved by altering
  the many small behaviors that compose the overall
  behavior.
• Break behavior down into smaller goals to be
  achieved.
• Work incrementally toward goal.
• Reinforcement is important provide rewards and
  incentives (both immediate and long-range).

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Exercise and Adherence Intervention Models

• Health belief model
• Adoption of a health behavior depends on the
  persons perception of four factors
• Severity of potential illness
• Susceptibility to illness
• Benefits of taking action
• Barriers to action

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Exercise and AdherenceIntervention Models

• Transtheoretical model stages of change
• Precontemplation
• Contemplation
• Preparation
• Action
• Maintenance
• Termination
• Decisional balance (weighing the pros and cons of
  the change)
• Self-efficacy (confidence about his/her abilities
  in a situation)
• Target the intervention to the individuals
  current stage.

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Exercise Dropout

• Perception that exercise has few health benefits
• Inactive lifestyle Sedentary occupations
• Lack of social support
• Family problems
• Interference of job-related responsibilities
• Inconvenience
• High-intensity exercise

• Low self-motivation
• Depression
• Low self-efficacy
• Denial of seriousness of ones health condition
• Obesity
• Type A behavior pattern
• Smokers
• Blue-collar workers

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Exercise Adherence

• Educational approaches
• Increase participants knowledge and understanding
  of the benefits of physical activity and
  exercise.
• Behavioral approaches
• Reinforcement
• Contracting
• Self-monitoring
• Goal-setting
• Enhancement of self-efficacy